The Specialized Butcher Grid Trail 2.3 x 29 tyre comes in this special tan wall version, and with its Grid Trail casing and Gripton T9 compound, it claims to deliver dependable strength and grip. I found it to be one of the best all-rounders I’ve ridden recently, especially for a balance of speed, strength and grip. There is a lot to like in the excellent all-arounder if you don’t mind the softer compound wearing on harder trails.
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Specialized Butcher Grid Trail T9 2.3 x 2.9 - Tech details
Looking very on-trend with the tan walls, Specialized Butcher Grid Trail T9 Soil Searching came in a 2.3 x 29 size (a larger 2.6 is also available). They tip the scales at just under 1kg, at 988g. They are tubeless using Specialized's 2Bbliss, and they seat easily on different rims.
Built on the Grid Trail casing, which is tubeless-ready and folding, it's a level up from the standard Grid. The Grid Trail claims to offer better pinch flat and puncture protection. Its 60-TPI means it is tough on the trail and increases sidewall strength and stability at lower pressures.
On top of the carcass is the Gripton T9 compound for the tyre rubber, the highest level soft compound that Specialized offers. It does feel softer and tackier by feel, both on the trail and when handling the tyre.
With an open block style tread, the Butcher has decently sized blocks, with alternate rows of two separate and two semi merged blocks, all siped and shaped, with cut-outs to clear trail muck and flex over the trail. The outer edge of blocks is angled with an aggressive shape to provide a dependable feel when cornering.
Specialized Butcher Grid Trail T9 2.3 x 2.9 - how they ride
The combination of Specialized’s softest, tacky T9 compound and Gripton casing makes for a reassuring and consistent ride. I had some concerns about how draggy they may feel, but I only felt this was on very hard-packed fire roads or tarmac.
My initial feeling from riding the Butcher is that it’s very balanced. Right away, I found myself feeling as confident in the tyres as I would with my usual pair. That’s not to say there isn’t any feel to the tyre; the muted feel is the feeling of a slower rebound or dampening to the tyre. It’s reassuring and sure-footed (or sure-tyred).
When hitting fast rocky sections, the tyre gripped well with a gradual and predictable feel. There were no sudden dead feelings or slipping out, surprisingly. As a front tyre, the Specialized Butcher Grid Trail T9 feel very dependable, and I feel they work the best upfront.
At times, as a rear tyre, they seemed to lack real bite in mud and grassy climbs. One particular slide in a corner had the front holding and the back taking a little longer to bite again. This became predictable and something I quickly got once used to.
During testing, the wear on the rear tyre is noticeable and a little more than comparable tyres. It’s smoothed out more, with the blocks wearing and rounding out. This isn’t too surprising considering the feeling of the tread compound. I ride predominantly rocky terrain, so this probably speeds up the wear in this instance.
I’ve found the sidewalls to be pretty strong despite the medium weight of the tyre. The tyres have sustained small slices and slashes on the tread and sidewalls, but nothing has managed to cut through in the test period.
I ran these tyres deliberately at low pressures to see how the sidewalls held up. I'm pleased to say that they faired well, and they can be run at surprisingly low levels (~15psi) and felt decent enough with only the odd wallowing feel in hard corners.
I did feel the Butcher became a little less sure-footed over the test period but levelled off to a consistent feeling. Still, not as grippy as the first few weeks of riding them.
Specialized Butcher Grid Trail T9 2.3 x 2.9 - Value and Verdict
At £45 each, the Butcher has great grip, confidence, and medium-low weight, which is well priced for a decent all-round tyre. In comparison to the CST BFT 29 x 2.25 Tyre, the Butcher is much better performing, and at £10 more, it's a no brainer which one to go for.
The Butcher hits an excellent blend of performance, weight and price. It performs well in all trail conditions and is only overwhelmed in deep, tacky mud - when most non-mud specific tyres would be too. As an all-rounder, it's an excellent choice, and I would choose the softer compound and slightly quicker wear of the tyre over longer life with less grip.
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